Question about upgrading battery terminals

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LucaBrasiMN

CarAudio.com Recruit
I am having some issues with my build and think that upgrading my battery terminals will help. I have heard good things about the ultimate battery terminals at knukonceptz but looking at the OEM terminals I don't quite understand how I would connect them to the new terminal.

It looks to be a few 4ga(?) oem power and ground wires but the ultimate terminals only have 1 of a few different sizes. How would I take these existing power and ground wires and connect them to the new terminals?

Sorry, not the brightest when it comes to electrical stuff.

Pictures are current terminals. Vehicle is 08 SIlverado.
 

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Knu ultimate terminals have lugs that your oem cables clamp on. The also have other spots to terminate additional wires. I personally don't think knu terminals have enough flexibility. I prefer to drill and tap battery lugs into plate-style battery terminals.
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You can buy lead post terminals that have a couple of bolts on them to bolt wires on that have ring terminal ends from walmart. I definitely have done this on my own vehicle before.

How many wires to you need to connect to each battery post?
 
You can buy lead post terminals that have a couple of bolts on them to bolt wires on that have ring terminal ends from walmart. I definitely have done this on my own vehicle before.

How many wires to you need to connect to each battery post?
The downside with those is you have to modify your oem cables, and I don't think they are a very strong connection, but obviously they are a lot cheaper and available locally. The big appeal of knu ultimate is you needn't cut the oem wires. Beyond that, knu ultimates don't seem all that great, though i don't have any experience using them.
 
The downside with those is you have to modify your oem cables, and I don't think they are a very strong connection, but obviously they are a lot cheaper and available locally. The big appeal of knu ultimate is you needn't cut the oem wires. Beyond that, knu ultimates don't seem all that great, though i don't have any experience using them.

I did have to add ring terminals to my factory wires. The ones I had also had a bar that connected the two bolts, and you could bolt down wires with no terminals under that bar; it was designed to do that.
 
You can buy lead post terminals that have a couple of bolts on them to bolt wires on that have ring terminal ends from walmart. I definitely have done this on my own vehicle before.

How many wires to you need to connect to each battery post?
It looks about 2x 4 or 8ga to both pos and neg plus the 1/0 on both. I think getting a smaller crimp ring terminal for the stock wires to attach to the post adapter of the ultimate terminal and put the 1/0 into its spot. Otherwise may go with more of a plate terminal but I dont know..
 
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It looks about 2x 4 or 8ga to both pos and neg plus the 1/0 on both. I think getting a smaller crimp ring terminal for the stock wires to attach to the post adapter of the ultimate terminal and put the 1/0 into its spot. Otherwise may go with more of a plate terminal but I dont know..

I had 4 runs of zero gauge, and all of the factory wires hooked up to the ones I got from walmart haha.
 
I've had great luck with stacking ring terminals on top of each other, with the biggest ones on the bottom, and try to even distribute them. Make sure they're all contacting each other. I've actually never had a problem doing that myself.
 
I've had great luck with stacking ring terminals on top of each other, with the biggest ones on the bottom, and try to even distribute them. Make sure they're all contacting each other. I've actually never had a problem doing that myself.
Define "great luck". Do you really think that tiny steel terminal can safely flow as much current as four runs of 1/0 copper? Sounds like a bottleneck to me. The only real benefit i see to those terminals is cost and availability. Cons are conductivity, limited versatility, irreversibly modifying oem cables, and they just look janky. It's something i would have done in high school. To each their own. I'm not knocking you, and it's good that you're providing another option. Op can obviously do as he pleases.
 
Define "great luck". Do you really think that tiny steel terminal can safely flow as much current as four runs of 1/0 copper? Sounds like a bottleneck to me. The only real benefit i see to those terminals is cost and availability. Cons are conductivity, limited versatility, irreversibly modifying oem cables, and they just look janky. It's something i would have done in high school. To each their own. I'm not knocking you, and it's good that you're providing another option. Op can obviously do as he pleases.

I ran it for a while like that. It wasn't hardsteel either; it was soft, somewhat like the lead posts are soft. So when I tightened stuff down, it actually made really good contact. I do think I broke one before, though. The ring terminals for the alt sat right under the ring terminals for the power wires to the amp, so it's not like there was an unusual restriction. The only restriction would be from the battery to the ring terminals on the wires. I'm just saying it's an easy and cheap option, not that it's the best one. The size of the terminal is so small, the distance from the battery post to the wire terminal is very short, and the terminals are pretty big, so I doubt there's a ton of extra resistance.
 
It looks about 2x 4 or 8ga to both pos and neg plus the 1/0 on both. I think getting a smaller crimp ring terminal for the stock wires to attach to the post adapter of the ultimate terminal and put the 1/0 into its spot. Otherwise may go with more of a plate terminal but I dont know..
I should have asked what your outlook is for the vehicle. Do you plan to keep it until it dies or sell it someday? If you plan on keeping it, do you want to keep it original?
 
I use ring terminals on everything that i can and Brass Battery terminals with the Wing nut. seem to be a pretty solid Connection. I just did my 2014 2500HD not long ago. But needing to do more for the 5k invertor I want to put in with a second AGM Battery I have sitting and a 250 amp alt. One Duralast 1000 CA AGM does fine for now to use my Tommy lift gate with stock alt. and and a 500 watt invertor. I think Ill prob make my own Battery Terminals this summer out of a block of Copper, Be lug style for sure
 
I use ring terminals on everything that i can and Brass Battery terminals with the Wing nut. seem to be a pretty solid Connection. I just did my 2014 2500HD not long ago. But needing to do more for the 5k invertor I want to put in with a second AGM Battery I have sitting and a 250 amp alt. One Duralast 1000 CA AGM does fine for now to use my Tommy lift gate with stock alt. and and a 500 watt invertor. I think Ill prob make my own Battery Terminals this summer out of a block of Copper, Be lug style for sure
Please share if/when you do make your terminals. Are you a machinist? I think lug style is the way to go. My Bronco has a set from Sky High, and my Explorer has a set from Ill Customz. The weak point is the softness of aluminum, though I have not yet stripped any holes, and copper will be even worse. You can see in my picture that I added copper between the lugs to aid in conduction. The copper is copper pipe hammered flat and cut to fit; I'm very happy with how it turned out.
 
Please share if/when you do make your terminals. Are you a machinist? I think lug style is the way to go. My Bronco has a set from Sky High, and my Explorer has a set from Ill Customz. The weak point is the softness of aluminum, though I have not yet stripped any holes, and copper will be even worse. You can see in my picture that I added copper between the lugs to aid in conduction. The copper is copper pipe hammered flat and cut to fit; I'm very happy with how it turned out.
I am not a machinist.. Though I have been in the Construction fields and have been in and around Steel, brass, copper, stainless steel, and PVC and all kinds of piping for several years, installing, fabricating, engineering, surveying, and estimating, and inspecting. Ive done some pretty interesting work over the years. Quite a bit of service work ,repair and maintenance. I have other hobbies also.. Car Audio/electrical, welding/fabricating, auto mechanics. I enjoy making things myself, and feel like its different from the norm and better quality than can be purchased. I like lugs. Seem to be a solid foundation for electrical and stay secure over time from coming loose. Ill be making some battery connections this summer and share my fabricated pieces that I think will work well and last.
 
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LucaBrasiMN

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